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AUGUST 1,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 10:25 P.M. ET: 

OH COME ON! – TV producer Norman Lear, who produced some of the most liberal sitcoms on television, like "All in the Family," now says he's actually a social conservative.  And I'm a nuclear physicist who doubles as Batman.  But Norman's shows were well produced, and within the industry he was known, to put it mildly, as a fiscal conservative.  Tightwad would be a better word.

GOODBYE – From Entertainment Weekly:  The cast of Downton Abbey gathered in Beverly Hills on Saturday to say goodbye to TV critics in a poignant final-season press conference. With only two weeks of shooting left on the international hit, the cast revealed that some actors have already wrapped their roles, and the entire production has finished shooting at Highclere Castle — the real-life stand in for the Crawley family home.  A wonderful series, beautifully produced, evoking Britain of the early 1900s.  An example of the kind of thing that public television can do when it isn't off promoting someone's agenda.

THE DRONE PROBLEM – From CNN:  Two airplanes flying near one of the nation's busiest airports each came within 100 feet of a drone on Friday, according to audio from each flight's radio calls.  The first, JetBlue Flight 1843, reported spotting a drone at 2:24 p.m. while approaching John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. In the audio recording, the cockpit says that the drone passed just below the planes nose when the jet was flying at an altitude of about 800 to 900 feet.  Then at about 5 p.m., Delta Flight 407 -- which had 154 people on board -- was preparing to land when the cockpit reported seeing a drone below its right wing.  Neither plane needed to take evasive action, according to the FAA.  Even though airliners are much, much larger than most drones, a drone hit could cripple a plane's control surfaces, located on the wings, stabilizers and rudder, and possibly send the plane out of control.  This is becoming a concerning issue.

WE SUPPORT IT – From Gateway Pundit:  A petition was posted at the ‘We the People’ site at the White House this week asking President Barack Obama to honor Navy officer Lt. Cmdr. Timothy White and others who used their personal firearms to return fire against the Islamist terrorist who attacked two military offices in Chattanooga, Tennessee last month. Five servicemen were shot and killed, one servicemen and one policeman were wounded by the terrorist who was also killed. It has not been determined whose firearms killed the terrorist, Palestinian-American Muhammad Abdulazeez.  Pentagon rules forbid military personnel from possessing military issued or personal firearms at recruiting centers. Lt. Cmdr. White admitted in an interview with the Chattanooga Times Free Press published Friday that he used a personal firearm to shoot at Abdulazeez.  The White House petition was posted on July 29 by “G.T.” of Sarasota, Florida, three days before Lt. Col Allen West (USA, Ret.) reported that the Navy was going to press charges against Lt. Cmdr. White. It has garnered over 7,600 e-signatures as of the writing of this article. The petition must reach 100,000 signers by August 28, 2015 to guarantee a response from the Obama administration.  White may well have violated rules, but this is a case that calls for prosecutorial discretion.  Waive prosecution, and change the rules so that service personnel who work in recruiting centers have the means to defend themselves. 

August 1,  2015     Permalink

MARINES COMING HOME AT LAST – AT 12:18 P.M. ET:  For some families, World War II is still not over.  From CBS: 

Rows of American flag-draped coffins rested on pavement cracked by the relentless heat of a tropical summer sun. For decades, the Marines inside the caskets had been deemed "unrecoverable," lost to time, history and the families who never forgot them.

On Saturday -- after 10 years of research and thanks to the determination of one man to uphold the military tradition of leaving no man behind -- the remains of nearly 40 Marines began their final journey home.

It's the end of a story that began more than 70 years ago on "one square mile of hell." That's how Marines who stormed the small, remote Pacific island chain of Tarawa on Nov. 20, 1943 described the atoll.

As the sun set that day on beaches ravaged by intense American aerial assaults, the men of the 2nd Marine Division went ashore in rubber boats and amphibious tractors, not expecting much resistance from the Japanese forces left defending the island.

It was a fatal mistake. The island was so heavily fortified with concrete bunkers that a Japanese commander boasted it would take a million men a hundred years to take it. Marines completed the job in just three days, but not without heavy losses.

More than 1,200 Marines died on Tarawa, and were hastily buried in makeshift graves as the war effort marched on. Hundreds are still buried there today in what is now the tiny Republic of Keera-Bass, under yards, trash pits, even pigsties.

COMMENT:  These are noble efforts, to bring these men home.  They remind us of the best of our traditions.  Some in the sixties generation tried to destroy these traditions, but they cannot be destroyed.

August 1, 2015       Permalink

A NEW GOP – AT 11:46 A.M. ET:  The Republican Party is learning that it must reach out to minorities, and it is doing so.  From WaPo: 

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Following President Obama’s reelection in 2012 — a win powered in part by historic black voter turnout — Republicans launched an aggressive outreach effort aimed at African American voters. Never again, they vowed, would they concede that sort of overwhelming demographic advantage to Democrats.

Now, heading into an election without Obama at the top of the ticket, many Republicans say they are positioned to make inroads with black voters.

That sense of opportunity was clear Friday when the party establishment’s favorite, former Florida governor Jeb Bush, addressed the annual meeting of the National Urban League in his home state. He spoke to the predominantly African American crowd about his record of helping blacks and his plans to do more. He touched on his removal of the Confederate flag from the state capitol grounds, his gubernatorial record on diversity and how his education reforms helped black students.

“If we don’t create an education system that allows young people to reach [the rungs on the ladder of success], we’re setting them up for a lifetime of failure,” he said. “So you and I have to call this situation what it is: the worst inequality in America today, and the source of so many other inequalities.”

Bush, and his party, think that sort of pitch may resonate with black voters. Some Democrats worry they may be right.

COMMENT:  It will be difficult.  The Dems, in the person of Her Gracious Majesty, Hillary Clinton, are already pulling their scare tactics.  Hillary appeared before the same meeting of the Urban League and charged that Republicans are plotting to prevent blacks from voting.  It's a standard tactic, but it often works with frightened and uninformed people.  The Dems will also target other groups in their base, like Hispanics, with similar scare tactics. 

The Republican National Committee is now in good hands.  Its great test will come in next year's presidential election.  The White House is the prize.  There is no award for second place.

August 1, 2015        Permalink

NEW TERROR WARNING – AT 11:15 A.M. ET:  Drones are becoming a major topic for anti-terror agencies.  From CBS: 

WASHINGTON -- CBS News has learned that the Department of Homeland Security has sent an intelligence assessment to police agencies across the country about drones being used as weapons in an attack.

The bulletin went out Friday and warned that unmanned aircraft systems or drones could be used in the U.S. to advance terrorist and criminal activities. Law enforcement sources say, "emerging adversary use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems present detection and disruption challenges."

According to federal officials, "The rising trend in UAS incidents within the National Airspace System will continue, as UAS gain wider appeal with recreational users and commercial applications."

The bulletin goes on to say, "while many of these encounters are not malicious in nature, they underscore potential security vulnerabilities... that could be used by adversaries to leverage UAS as part of an attack."

Currently, intelligence bulletins are released almost weekly as law enforcement responds to threats from ISIS sympathizers. But the release of a bulletin dedicated to the threat from UAS is unusual. The bulletin does not mention any specific upcoming events authorities are concerned about but points to the overall security challenges drones present.

COMMENT:  A serious warning.  The question is whether it will be taken seriously by anti-terror forces that are already overburdened.  Are there in place systems that can shoot down drones?  Can there ever be full protection when a drone can be launched from a road, or a clearing, a thousand feet from the target? 

Even an ordinary flying model airplane can carry a small explosive, suitable for taking out a vehicle.

Serious business.

August 1,  2015     Permalink

JULY 31,  2015

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:55 P.M. ET: 

THE START – Pundits are revving up for the first debate of the presidential campaign, on Thursday, in Cleveland, featuring the Republican contenders.  There are obviously too many Republican candidates for a real debate, but the contest will serve the same purpose as the preliminaries in the Miss America pageant – the narrowing of the field.  Advance speculation centers on whether Donald Trump will continue his gallop, or be taken down by the other, more experienced candidates.  Speculation also centers on the impact the debate will have on the Democratic field, especially with all the speculation that Joe Biden will be jumping in to replace the fading Hillary Clinton.  So this will be a crucial week.

MORE HELL FOR HILL – From WaPo:   State Department investigators concluded this year that Huma Abedin, one of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s closest aides, was overpaid by nearly $10,000 because of violations of rules governing vacation and sick leave during her tenure as an official in the department.  The finding — which Abedin has formally contested — emerged publicly Friday after Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) sent letters to Secretary of State John F. Kerry and others seeking more information about an investigation into possible “criminal” conduct by Abedin concerning her pay.  The letters also sought the status of an inquiry into whether Abedin had violated conflict-of-interest laws related to her special employment situation, which allowed her to work simultaneously for the State Department, the Clinton Foundation and a private firm with close ties to the Clintons.  Abedin is married to disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner, who sexual exploits on the internet got him escorted out of Congress.  She's also been reported to have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.  She also is Hillary Clinton's closest aide.  The woman has no taste.

BALTIMORE HORROR – From AP:   BALTIMORE (AP) — Baltimore reached a grim milestone on Friday, three months after riots erupted in response to the death of Freddie Gray in police custody: With 45 homicides in July, the city has seen more bloodshed in a single month than it has in 43 years.  Police reported three deaths — two men shot Thursday and one on Friday. The men died at local hospitals.  With their deaths, this year's homicides reached 189, far outpacing the 119 killings by July's end in 2014. Nonfatal shootings have soared to 366, compared to 200 by the same date last year. July's total was the worst since the city recorded 45 killings in August 1972, according to The Baltimore Sun.  Well, look at the quality of the city's leadership, and its attitude toward the police.  How can you have effective control of crime when the criminals are treated better than the police officers?  And it's almost as bad in Chicago. 

THUMBS DOWN ON OBAMA – From the Washington Examiner:   It seems that Americans can add "no more Obamas" to the oft-heard calls for no more Bushes or Clintons, despite the president's belief that he would be a shoo-in for a third term.  Rasmussen Reports on Friday released a poll showing that just one third of likely U.S voters would keep President Obama in office if he ran again. Even among Democrats, only 57 percent would vote for him a third time.  Americans are wising up to their mistake.  Let's hope they don't make a similar mistake next year.

July 31, 2015       Permalink

MORE ON THE SINKING SHIP – AT 10:34 A.M.:   This story is making major rounds and is heavily quoted by others in the media.  It turns out that Hillary Clinton may have a major problem involving classified material sent from her private server while she was secretary of state.  If the story holds up, it's hard to see how she can sustain a presidential campaign.  From McClatchy:

The classified emails stored on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private server contained information from five U.S. intelligence agencies and included material related to the fatal 2012 Benghazi attacks, McClatchy has learned.

Of the five classified emails, the one known to be connected to Benghazi was among 296 emails made public in May by the State Department. Intelligence community officials have determined it was improperly released.

Revelations about the emails have put Clinton in the crosshairs of a broadening inquiry into whether she or her aides mishandled classified information when she used a private server set up at her New York home to conduct official State Department business.

While campaigning for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, Clinton has repeatedly denied she ever sent or received classified information. Two inspectors general have indicated that five emails they have reviewed were not marked classified at the time they were stored on her private server but that the contents were in fact “secret.”

The email issue, however, has distracted from Clinton’s campaign for days and already has hurt her in public opinion polls. Besieged with questions, she has found herself caught in a murky dispute between State Department and intelligence officials over whether emails on her server were classified.

“Even if Secretary Clinton or her aides didn’t run afoul of any criminal provisions, the fact that classified information was identified within the emails is exactly why use of private emails . . . is not supposed to be allowed,” said Bradley Moss, a Washington attorney who specializes in national security matters. “Both she and her team made a serious management mistake that no one should ever repeat.”

COMMENT:  It doesn't help that she's a somewhat unpopular figure who's already been involved in scandals.  It's a slow drip, but I sense the drip is getting faster.

July 31, 2015       Permalink

HILLARY'S DEMISE? –  AT 10:14 A.M. ET:  It's being talked about everywhere.  Hillary is in the toaster.  Barack Obama is making the settings.  Monica Crowley has written the best piece on this, for the Washington Times: 

Hillary Clinton is not going to be the Democratic nominee for president.

Yes, the conventional wisdom is that she is still the prohibitive favorite, armed with big money, big connections, and the Big Dog, Bill.

But the so-called “wisdom” is “conventional” for a reason.

As a result of endless sordid scandals and predictably Clintonian evasions, her poll numbers on everything from favorability to trustworthiness are in a nosedive. A battery of new polls in key swing states such as Colorado and Iowa show her losing to a number of GOP challengers.

She’s also taking incoming from the left, particularly from Vermont senator and socialist Bernie Sanders, who is scoring major crowds and an increasing percentage of the Democratic vote, indicating that the leftist base sees him as a viable option and not merely a vehicle to register discontent with Mrs. Clinton.

Polls this early in the cycle can be unreliable. But they do indicate a significant downward trend for her that must have her campaign at DEFCON 3.

None of this, however, is her most serious problem. Instead, it’s something much closer to home, much more insidious, much more dangerous than anything else.

It’s President Obama. And he just made his move.

COMMENT:  Read the whole piece.  It's entirely logical and convincing.  Think Joe Biden.

July 31, 2015        Permalink

ANOTHER GREAT VICTORY FOR SPORT – AT 9:44 A.M. ET:  That great democracy, Communist China, has snagged another Olympics.  From CBS: 

KUALA LUMPUR -- The International Olympic Committee voted Friday to hold the 2022 Winter Olympics in the Chinese capital of Beijing.

Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan, were the only two cities on the ballot when IOC members cast their votes Friday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The vote was delayed by technical problems involving the electronic voting system, which prompted officials to nix the first attempt and call for a second vote by paper ballot.

After the second vote, IOC President Thomas Bach said the host city had been elected, but he waited to make the announcement at a ceremony later in the day.

Winning the bid will make Beijing the first city to host both a winter and summer games.

Almaty had hoped to bring the games to Central Asia for the first time.

COMMENT:  I love the Olympics, but the international Olympic movement has always been shady, reflecting the corruption of the international system generally.  Couldn't they find a democratic nation in which to celebrate young athletes?  The Olympic movement has never cared much for such niceties.

We'll love the games and ignore the venue.

July 31,  2015     Permalink